INNOVATOR: Silicon Valley is the world's innovation hub, a place synonymous with the latest in tech.

One of its best minds is a Filipino-American engineer Diosdado "Dado" Banatao. Every personal
computer (PC) we see today has two things that can be credited to him: the PC chip set and the graphics
accelerator chip. But the man whose intellect has contributed what makes every single PC work started
in a humble home in northern Philippines , in a pastoral province known as Cagayan Valley.

RAGS-TO-RICHES: Diosdado Banatao is a rags-to-riches story. As a child of a farmer and a housekeeper,

he walked on dirt roads without shoes to attend primary school in the small town in Cagayan Valley, a
province in north of Luzon island.

FROM FARM BOY TO TECH BILLIONAIRE: Banatao was born in a small barrio of Malabbac in the town of
Iguig, Cagayan, Philippines, on May 23, 1946. He went to a Jesuit-run high school, Ateneo de
Tuguegarao. “My education with the Jesuits taught me critical thinking. I was no one really special, but I
was determined,” Banatao said in one of his interviews.

ENGINEERING: Dado Banatao credits his father Salvador Banatao, a farmer, for taking the cudgels for his
children’s education. Banatao completed his Bachelor of Science of Electric Engineering degree from
Mapua Institute of Engineering (Manila), graduated cum laude.

WORKED FOR BOEING: After graduating from Mapua, he joined the Philippine Airlines as a trainee pilot
and later moved to Boeing. He worked as a design engineer for the airframer’s commercial airline
division.

MEETING WITH STEVE AND WOZ: While working for Boeing, Banatao took up his Master’s degree in
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University. He later worked with a number of
tech companies. Banatao also joined the Homebrew Computer Club, where he met Steve Jobs and Steve
Wozniak.

REWARD FOR HARD WORK: Banatao took his Master's degree in Engineering at Stanford University
while working for Boeing. "Success in business, technology or other fields depend more on hard work
rather than on brains alone. In terms of absolute brilliance, I’m way below the curve. In fact here at
Silicon Valley, I envy all the smart people. I really believe it is the effort and hard work that matter more
than pure brilliance," Banatao told an interview in 2018.
MASTER OF COMPUTER CHIPS: After finishing his master's degree at Stanford, Banatao worked with
different technology companies such as the National Semiconductor, Intersil, and Commodore
International where he designed the first single-chip, 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator.

BREAKTHROUGH DESIGNS: In 1981, he developed the first 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS with silicon coupler
data-link control and transceiver chip while working in Seeq Technology. In 1984, Banatao and his
business partner Francis Siu, founded a high-tech company, Moston, starting with a capital of $500,000.
Mostron was launched as a manufacturer of motherboards. They also hired Ron Yara of Intel as a
company executive.

FIVE-CHIP SET: After he developed a five-chip set, Banatao co-founded Chips and Technologies in 1985.
The company developed system logic chip set for IBM's PC-XT and the PC-AT. The company earned $12
million in its first four months. After 22 months, the company went public.

BENEVOLENT DISRUPTOR: Banatao devised more efficient ways to link computers, by simplifying the
computer design with fewer chips, thus making computers smaller, more portable and affordable. “I just
thought I can redesign this with a few chips. Out of 150 or so, just five chips. That was the entire PC,”
Banatao told a Filipino TV channel ANC.

SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR: Banatao is recognised for being a tech entrepreneur. Banatao is a three-time
start-up veteran, having co-founded Mostron, Chips and Technologies, and S3 Graphics. He received the
Master Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Ernst & Young, Inc. Magazine, and Merrill Lynch Business
Financial Services in 1997.

CHARITY AND EDUCATION WORK: Today, Banatao’s net worth reportedly stands at about $5 billion. He
is managing partner of Tallwood Venture Capital, which invests in start-ups. He also uses his experience,
influence and resources to break the cycle of poverty in his native Philippines through technology.
Forbes Asia lists Banatao as of the region’s 40 most noteworthy givers, for having compiled a long record
of supporting worthy causes.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/gulfnews.com/amp/photos/business/filipino-tech-billionaire-
dado-banatao-from-farm-boy-to-billionaire-a-rags-to-riches-story-in-silicon-valley-1.1623339047491